Section 1233 of HR 3200, the healthcare reform measure under consideration, mandates "Advance Care Planning Consultation."Further reading of the law reveals that these sessions are nothing more than a not-so-veiled attempt to convince the elderly to forego treatment.

HR 3200 calls outright for these compulsory consultations to recommend "palliative care and hospice." These are typically administered in the place of treatment intended to prolong life, and instead focus on pain relief until death. These are, of course, reasonable and beneficial options for terminally ill patients and their families.

But this legislation doesn't stop there. Section 1233 requires "an explanation by the practitioner of the continuum of end-of-life services and supports available, including palliative care and hospice, and benefits for such services and supports that are available under this title." But, under the terms of the section, the federal government can compel more frequent end-of-life sessions if it declares a "significant change" in the health of the Medicare recipient, a change that the bill does not confine to fatal illness, but which encompasses broad and abstract conditions described as "chronic," "progressive," or "life-limiting." The bill even empowers physicians to make an "actionable medical order" to "limit some or all specified interventions..."

In effect, the government can determine that a "life-limiting" condition demands the withholding of treatment.

The bill puts the Secretary of Health in charge of life and death decisions coming out of these sessions. Under the heading, "QUALITY REPORTING INITIATIVE," the bill says, "For purposes of reporting data on quality measures for covered professional services furnished during 2011 and any subsequent year, to the extent that measures are available, the Secretary shall include quality measures on end of life care and advanced care planning that have been adopted or endorsed by a consensus-based organization, if appropriate.

Such measures shall measure both the creation of and adherence to orders for life-sustaining treatment."

These measures are merely an extension of the healthcare provisions hidden in the stimulus bill, which contained alarming new guidelines that required medical practitioners to judge whether or not treating certain patients was "comparatively effective." These decisions were to be based on the findings of a presidential advisory council on the costs of varying treatments.

As a result of these changes, treatment is now a question of "cost" and humans are viewed as potential "liabilities" instead of patients. kind of demagoguery imaginable.

Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) lacks any shame, saying that doctors who oppose this legislation have "lost sight of the common good and the pledge they took in the Hippocratic oath." Last time I checked, the Hippocratic oath didn't say anything about refusing to treat patients on the basis of cost.

And somehow, whenever the words "common good" are thrown around, individuals are about to be hurt. McDermott even went on to accuse anti-reform doctors of "practicing fear without a license," saying that "they should be subject to a malpractice suit."

President Obama has even been so disingenuous as to accuse Republicans of denying medical treatment to people that need it, saying, "The opponents of health insurance reform would have us do nothing. But think about what doing nothing, in the face of ever increasing costs, will do to you and your family."

This is a classic false choice scenario. Either we pass Obama's legislation, or people will die.

In fact, doing nothing is infinitely preferable to doing the wrong thing, especially when we're being pushed to move too quickly.

John Griffing unplugs Section 1233. Clearly they will need more than one 'angel of death' for this 'care' campaign; and if this passes; they will be hiring. . .Actually; they have a few already on board. Can see where this will eventually save money; there will be no 'Seniors'; no 'long-term' care for anyone;no need for prosthetics/wheel chairs and the like; no meds either. Plugs will be pulled on all 'infirm'; disabled; physically inconvenienced; phsyically challenged and health challenged individuals. The Utilitarians will decide; if you deserve to live. We can easily imagiane; that all their political enemies; will eventually be up for consideration as well.

They are setting up a parallel, superior system for themselves and their families (as was the case in the Soviet Union). Our Overlords will see that they and theirs are well taken care of. The rest of us peons are going to be screwed.

Next step: Make voting rights of the elderly dependent on the consultation; and initiate an elderly approved proxy for their ballot. In other words, institutionalize what Dems have been doing for years by running around the nursing homes trying to get absentee ballots signed by the demented.

We must demand that McDermott “take his own medicine first” before even getting into the details. He can count this thread as his counseling session and that way he can take the “big walk that does not end” this afternoon. His example will edify us all.

We must demand that McDermott “take his own medicine first” before even getting into the details. He can count this thread as his counseling session and that way he can take the “big walk that does not end” this afternoon. His example will edify us all.

We must demand that McDermott take his own medicine first before even getting into the details. He can count this thread as his counseling session and that way he can take the big walk that does not end this afternoon. His example will edify us all.

lol/lol. .. on the big walk'; and am ready to give him roller skates to make it easier- and faster.

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